Awning.



j M. E. B. WILLIAMS.

AWNING.

APPLICATION FILED ou'1.22, 1910.

1,01 1,688. i Patented 1190.111911.

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|H 1. @l eII l lllllulllumu' i UM, Mum* COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH 1:0.,WASHINGTDN, DV C.

N l y WJTNESSES M. B. B. WILLIAMS.

AWNING.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 22, 1910.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHE?. l 2.

WITNESSES NI/ENTOR M. E. B. WILLIAMS.

AWNING.

WITNESSES im La COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTGN. D. c.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T. 22, 1910.

Patented Dee. 12,1911'.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

n l l l n n l l l l l l l l l a a n r f a f f l l l l l l l l l r r l r l n r l l l l l f l l n l i f r n l l g d Aliarnej/J M. E. B. WILLIAMS.

AWNING. n APPLIGATIN FILED 00T. 22, 1910.

1,01 1,688, Patented Dec. 12,1911.

` unl LM 4 SHEETS-SHEET' 4.

WJTNESSES AitomeJ/J UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

MARGARET ELIZABETH BEEDLE WILLIAMS, OF WESTERN PORT, MARYLAND.

AWNING'.

Application filed October 22, 1910. Serial No. 588,492.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARGARET ELIZABETH BEEDLE IVrLLIAMs, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at lVestern Port, in the county of Allegany and State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Awnings, of which the following is a specification.

In considering the objects and advantages of my invention it may be mentioned that the awning may be used with or without end curtains or sections; that it is capable of operation entirely from the inside of the building to which it is applied, and so balanced that it may be raised and lowered as may an ordinary corded and weighted window; that the means used for manipulation may be placed at any convenient part of the building in the line of movement of the awning; that chains, crank boxes and other appliances ordinarily used on the outside of the building are dispensed with; that the awning may be applied to the doors or windows or fronts of different stories of a building; that when used upon the ground floor the inconvenience of using an awning rod or brace which will be so low as to oifer an Other objects and advantages will appear' hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows in front elevation a form of my invention applied to the ground Hoor of a building comprising a central door and a window on either side thereof. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation viewed from within the building, showing parts of the invention optionally disposed. Fig. 3 is a detail upon enlarged scale, and in horizontal section, showing mechanism seen at the upper right hand corner of Fig. 2. Fig. 3 shows an optional form of the outer shaft of Fig. 3. Fig. 4 is a vertical section showing the awn- A ing of Fig. 1 dropped, and means within the building whereby it is operated. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the same awning raised. Figs. 6, 7 and 72L show enlarged details hereinafter described. Fig. 8 (also with others enlarged) is a vertical side sec- Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

tion of a detail, and Fig. 9 a vertical front section thereof. Fig. 9a shows a modification of Fig. 9. Fig. 10 is a horizontal section of Fig. 9, and Fig. 11 a vertical front section showing the substitution of a spring as the equivalent of the weight of Figs. 9 and 10. Fig. 12 is a view in elevation showing an end awning. Fig. 13 shows a modification of a detail seen in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. Fig. 14 presents a side elevation showing a form of my awning let down. Fig. 15 shows the same, the awning being raised. Fig. 16 is a side elevation showing a modification of Figs. 14 and 15. Fig. 17 is a front and exterior elevation of a form of my awning with a modification in the means of manipulation. Fig. 18 shows the same mechanism from the interior of the building. Figs. 19, 20, 21 and 21a are details hereinafter described.

A represents the wall of the building to which the awning C is applied. As shown in Fig. 1, the device is let down or unrolled and extends across to shade the entire front of the ground floor of a building having a central door and a window on either side thereof. The awning roller is shown by B. At suitable parts of the front of the building are placed slide boxes a, indicated in Fig. 1 as four in number. These slide boxes are shown enlarged in Figs. 8, 9, 1() and l1, of which further description is given hereinafter. In all forms the slide box is provided with a front slot a through which slots project slides a2 to which the awning rods a3 are hinged. lhile as seen in Figs. 1 and 4 the awning is not provided with end portions, it, as preferably used, consists of a main or front part and end sections, it being, as will hereinafter appear, an object of my invention to enable the whole awning, both its front portion and its ends, to be conveniently unrolled and rolled.

Figs. 3 and 4, the former being upon enlarged scale, indicate the simplest form of mechanism employed by me in the manipulation of such an awning as is seen in Figs. 1 and 4. In these figures, the awning being shown let down or unrolled, each of the slides a2 is elevated to the upperl portion of the slot a of its slide boxV a. The roller B is mounted exteriorly at the upper part of that portion of the building intended to be shaded, and is provided with a sprocket wheel Fig. 4, which by means of a sprocket chain o is connected to the sprocket wheel immediately beloiv that of the roller. The wheel b2 is supported by a bracket D, Fig. (S, and mounted upon a countershaft D2 having an adjustable bearing c whereby the sprocket Wheel may be adapted to slide in a slot c of the bracket, the adjustment of the bearing being etl'ected by means ot' set screws of. This tountershailit may be made extensible as shown in Fig. 3 in order to adapt it to diii'erent iii'ontages, thickness oitI walls or other variable col'iditions. The shatt is made telescopic, it having an inner solid member d: and an outer slotted tubular member (Z3. This telescopic modiiication oi' the counter shaft having been broughtl to give the required distance between the sprocket Wheels, is set at that distance by a suitable clamping device di.

The front of the building is provided with horizontal openings E Fi. Figs. 3 and 4l, through which passes a sprocket chain 7) which engages a sprocket Wheel .72* Within the lfniilding. The last named Wheel is supported by a bracket D Within the building and is mounted upon a shaft (l having adjustable bearings (Z. all as seen in Fig. '7. The bracket may be made separable as seen for example in Fig. 7a. to admit of the lifting out of the parts held thereby. By means of the adjustable bearings of the brackets D and D the tightening or loosening of the sprocket chains 7) and .713 is readily accomplished. The brackets D being upon the inside of the building, see especially Fig. 8, the roller portions al of the shaft CZ furnish means whereby the awning may be manually operated from the interior of the building. Such means are shown in Figs. 2. 4 and o consisting of al pull cord c which Winds over one ot the. sections oit the roller portions r. while a cord e Winds over the other roller section rl', it being provided ivith a counten Weight Af. In the position in which the a\vning is shown in Fig. 4 it will be understood that the cord c has been pulled doxvn by the operator using the handle c2 against the gravity ot the Weight f, the cord c of which is Wound up by the same action. Fig. shovvs the position ot the awning before this action. from which it will be seen that the slides a? are at the bottom of the slots a of the slide boxes e; that the awning rods es are practically vertical, and that the handle c2 is elevated and the Weight f lowered. In changing the position of the awning from the position of Fig. l to that of Fig. 5, the pull may be exerted upon the counterweight f. The diameter of the roller section tl is as small as is expedient in order to lessen the distance required to be traveled by the counteriveight f.

Fig. 1, as hereinabove stated, shows generally an awning of ordinary form. that 'is to say, one Without end sections but which, in accordance with my invention, is operated from the interior of the building and which differs from awnings of this general class in features of mechanical construction and arrangement. In Fig. 2 an optional mode of winding or rolling and unrolling such an awning as that of Fig. 1 is shown. At the right ot' the iigure the winding and unwind ing and Weighting means are shown in full lines at the right hand Wall ot the building.l whereas the dotted lines at the left show similar means at or near the center of the building.

in Figs. S and 9 the slide boxes a are shown with their slides provided with a Weighting device. As indicated in these iigures. the interior of the slide box is provided with tracks at upon which slide the rollers ai mounted in the slide a2. These slides are counterbalanced or counteriveighted by means of a weight o6, the cord a? of which passes over a sheave as journaled in the upper part of the slide, the said cord attaching at c to the frame oiE the rollers a5. The weight e may be inserted to and removed from the interior of the slide casing through the hole 010, but in the construction shown in Fig. 9a, the hole am is or may be omitted. and the upper end of the slide box made vopen and be closed by a lid alt, the openstopped slide box admitting of the insertion and removal of all interior iittings. A similar arrange ment of slide box is shown in vertical section in Fig. 11, but instead of the Weight a coiled spring o is used for counterweighting` the awning extension rods. A small roller 15, carried by the slide a?, prevents a binding of the slide against the edges of the slot oit the slide box. See particularly Fig. S. In Fig. 13 an equivalent form of the roller portion of the slide in shown. the roliers ff being inclosed in a suitable 'trame (d2 to which the cord Which passes over the sheave. or a spring, if the latter is used. is attached as at @lsf Thus tar I have mainly confined the de seription to an awning not having end sections. but an important feature of my invention is in an awning provided with a main Front or central part and end portions all o'l which shall be capable ot being simililaneously rolled and unrolled. that is to say, raised or lowered. In considering this feature of my invention, reference may be first made more especially to Figs. 14 and 15. Here I have shown, as means for Winding each of the end portions of the awning. a tapered roller F mounted in a manner similar to that of a curtain roller upon a central shafthaving bearings g g', and provided vvith an internal spring which may be placed under tension and which at the proper time may be used for Winding up the end portions of the awning. This arrangement employed by me, however, differs from iso an ordinary spring curtain roller in that it does not have stops which, as in the curtain fixture, allow the curtain to be adjusted to a required height. Fig. 1/1 shows this tapered roller F, the end section ofthe awning being unrollefl or dropped, and Fig. 15 the elevated or closed position of the awning.V The internal spring is shown in Fig. 1G by dotted and in Fig. 2() by full lines and lmarked g2. In Fig. 16 the position of the tapered or conical roller F is changed, and instead of its being vertically mounted upon a shaft as in Figs. 14: and 15, it is pivoted a t g3 to a slide n.2 which runs in a slide box a, as heretofore described, and above the casing and Xed to the front wall of the building, are rods z, upon which are rings i attached to the edges of the end awning and which slide upon the rods as the end portion is rolled upon the roller F. The end curtain is simply attached to the top awning by putting the ring al at the end of the curtain over the front rod a of the awning, (see the enlarged detached view at Fig. 16) and stiffening pieces may be put in the end curtain, if so desired. The tapered roller is preferably made of some light weight material that will not rust, and is covered in some appropriate manner to protect itfrom the weather.

ln Figs. 19, 20 and Q1 is shown a form of conical spring roller, the taper of which may be varied. At the larger end of the rol-ler is a head 7c having a series of annular flanges 7u. Instead of the series of annular flanges L", where a union is made between the roller and the head, the parts may be united by fitting the larger end of the coni- -al lapped roller in the spiral groove 7c shown in Fig. 21a, whereby the compression and distention of the roller may be effected by turning the head. It will be understood that the relative arrangement between the perforations X14, Fig. 20. and the pins 7c will be such as to admit of the proper clearance for the change in size of the roller. At the opposite or smaller end of the roller is a flanged closure k2. The body 7c3 of the roller. while in one section of metal, is folded or flapped upon itself, one of its flaps being provided with a series of perforations 7a4 and the other with a series of pins 7er. As shown in Fig. 20, the conical roller is fully distended, but as will be seen, it may be closed into smaller circular size and its larger end fitted between any other two of the flanges 7c thereby to be retained in its compressed form, or it may be compressed by means of the device shown in Fig. 21a.

1n Fig. 12 1 have shown a convenient arrangement for an end awning or shade G which may be used independently of a main or front awning. .This ligure will be understood by reference to what has beenl said with respect to t-he construction of the conical winding roller` and its adjuncts. Here the roller F is supported at the front of the building by a suitable tubular framework F. The roller shown in Fig. 12 may be modified as seen in Figs. 19, 20, 21 and 21a, and also conveniently operated in a manner similar to that in which an ordinary` window shade is worked, or in accordance with such manipulations hereinbefore described, as are applicable to this arrangement.

The locking dogs shown in Figs. 11 and 19 are not intended to act as such devices are employed in ordinary shade curtains, but simply to allow of the setting up of the initial tension of the spring to compensate for the weight of the extension rods, the awning and other elements.

My invention is applicable to an awning of large or small size, and it has been found in the practical opera-tion of awnings of a certain character that it will not fall by its own weight until it is unrolled a certain length, in which case it will be required to give it a start by manual effort. Furthermore, such counterweight must be employed as will prevent the awning from falling too rapidly and also to cause it to be easily pulled up. The special automatically-acting or counterbalanced features shown in Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11, whether of the weight or spring character, may be employed as suited to the size and character of the awning.

Modification may be availed of in the various parts and arrangements herein shown, as in the slide boxes shown particularly in Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11. Thus if a spring is used it must be such as can be made to act with greater or lesser force as is common with spring window shades, and if a weight is employed it should have an opening or cavity in which shot or other weighting medium may be placed in order to vary the weight. ln order to more readily force the slides to the bottom of the slide boxes, weight may be added to the frame by inserting a bar in the front rod. which is preferably hollow, and also in the end of each of the extension rods next to the front rod, although ordinarily it has been found that the weight of the tubular frame without additions has been sutlicient for the purpose. rfhe counter-balancing or counterweighting of the awning, especially one of large size. is a consideration of importance, it must be allowed to fall easily and prevent danger or inconvenience. Proper provision must be made as to the strength and action of ther springs employed in the rolling and unrolling of the end sections, and the required taper given to the rollers for use with said sections will be governed. b v the slope of the curtain.

As hereinbefore stated, the awning may be worked from any convenient point withiny necting said sprocket Wheels, one of said chains passing from the interior of the building through a Wall thereof to the exterior, a counterbalancing device Within the building and means for adjusting the tension of said chains, substantially as set forth.

9. A flexible awning having a main section and also end sections, means for connecting said main and end sections, a springless roller exterior of the building, on Which roller the main section of the awning is Wound, a sprocket and chain mechanism exterior of the building for operating the main section, a sprocket mechanism Within the building and a chain mechanism acting therewith and passing through a Wall of the building for coacting with said exterior mechanism, combined With tapered spring rollers upon Which the end sections of the awning are adapted to automatically Wind, and means for varying the taper of said spring rollers, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

MARGARET ELIZABETH BEEDLE WILLIAMS. lVitnesses:

RICHARD LAUGHLIN, PATRICK FRANCES LAUGHLIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

